Buying Bike for Five-Year-Old?

[NotQuiteCockney]

I am apparently buying a bike for DS1 this week, without him being there (suprise birthday gift). What measurements do I need from him? Just inseam?

My bikeshop wouldn't sell me a bike without the kids there... bit of a pain!

I would do inside leg, height, and arm length just to have it all covered.

Oh bugger, I hope ours isn't like that. I'll call ahead.

How tall is he?? my dd is almost 4 and wearing clothes for a 4-5 year old,so she is quite tall and we had her in toysrus and had an assistant advice us on the bike size etc to buy her for xmas,i would have thought a 12' but no they said a 14' lucky they were around or i would have wasted all that money to have to go out and buy a new bike again next year!! the moral of all this babbling is that i would go for a 16' possibly if he was of average or above average height!

I've checked, and he has a 22" inseam. Thankfully, our local bike shop will let me buy his bike without him.

Dear god - a website says he would suit a 20" wheel, which is meant to be for 7-10 year olds. I think I will check his inseam again, but I did measure it twice.